Valve launches Steam app for iOS and Android

Valve Software as released a new mobile application that allows Steam customers to access their account on the go.

The mobile app allows users to browse game catalogues, interact with friends and stay up to date on new items rolling into the Steam store.

"The Steam app comes from many direct requests from our customers," said company president Gabe Newell

"Seeing which of your friends are online and playing a game, sending quick messages, looking at screenshots for an upcoming game, or catching a sale – these are all features customers have requested.

“Mobile is changing way people interact, play games and consume media, and the Steam app is part of our commitment to meet customer demands and expand the service functionality of Steam to make it richer and more accessible for everyone."

The app is currently in Beta, meaning that Steam customers will need to register an interest to have a chance to access the app before its full launch.

Utilising mobile devices to improve PC and console services has become a new philosophy for a growing number of games companies.

Valve’s expansion into mobile echoes Microsoft’s recent decision to bring Xbox Live to smartphones via an Android, iOS and Windows Phone App.

The overarching idea is that the always-connected smartphone allows the likes of Valve and Microsoft to bring business directly to the customer, as opposed to waiting for consumers to visit their online stores.

In an interview with Develop last year, Gabe Newell explained the company had “no strategy” for developing games content on mobiles.

“On mobile we’ve done nothing,” he said, “especially compared to the guys at Epic Games”.

“The thing is, clearly the mobile platform is coming along. The thing I hate about it is we have to live with the CPU and GPU constraints that we’ve not had to deal with for a while.”